Messier 98 — Galaxy in Coma Berenices

M98 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, located approximately 44.4 million light-years from Earth. It is classified as type SAB(s)ab, an intermediate spiral seen at a high inclination of about 74 degrees, giving it an elongated appearance. One of M98's most remarkable properties is that it is one of the few galaxies in the Virgo Cluster region that is blueshifted — it is approaching us at about 142 km/s rather than receding. This does not mean it is truly moving toward us in the cosmic sense; rather, its orbital motion within the Virgo Cluster happens to carry it in our direction at this time. M98 spans approximately 160,000 light-years in diameter, making it quite large. It contains a mixed population of old and young stars, with active star formation in its disk and prominent dust lanes visible along its near edge.

Located about half a degree west of the star 6 Comae Berenices, near the Virgo Cluster border. At magnitude 10.1, M98 is relatively faint and requires at least a 4-inch telescope and dark skies. It appears as a thin, elongated streak due to its high inclination. An 8-inch telescope shows a spindle-shaped glow with a brighter central region. Larger apertures may reveal mottled structure and dust lanes along the edge. M98 is part of the rich Virgo galaxy field — nearby M99 and M100 can be found within a few degrees. Best observed from March through June.

Discovered by Pierre Mechain on March 15, 1781, and cataloged by Messier on April 13, 1781. Messier described it as a faint nebula without a star. The galaxy's blueshift was measured by Vesto Slipher in the early 20th century, which initially confused astronomers studying the expansion of the universe, since most galaxies showed redshifts.